This Bananas Foster recipe is a New Orleans-inspired dessert where bananas are flambéed (quickly cooked) in a caramel rum sauce, and topped with vanilla ice cream. This easy, 10 minute recipe makes this the perfect, date night dessert. It’s the secret weapon of any bachelor…or bachelorette!
Why is it called Bananas Foster?
The story goes during the 1950’s in New Orleans, Brennan’s restaurant owner, Owen Brennan, tasked his Chef, Paul Blange, to create a dessert using bananas, a locally imported commodity.
Thanks Chef! Bananas Foster is one of the most romantic comfort foods of the dessert world!
How do you make Bananas Foster?
** See full recipe below
1) Melt brown sugar and butter in a cast iron skillet on medium heat.
2) Add vanilla, pecans, and cinnamon; heat and stir until combined.
3) Lay sliced bananas in the caramel sauce and heat long enough to soften.
4) Turn off the flame; add alcohol and ignite the sauce with a match. This is the flambe part, so be careful!
5) Allow the flame to subside, top with ice cream, and devour!
What is flambé?
Flambé is an open flame in a skillet which burns off alcohol.
This means ALL precautions MUST be taken to avoid injury and prevent fire.
As with any cooking activity, your fire extinguisher should be readily accessible.
That said, the magic that occurs from this lucious, skillet-dessert flambé is a rich, rum or bourbon flavored, buttery caramel sauce.
It’s pure heaven!
Can you make Bananas Foster ahead of time?
You could make the caramel sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until needed.
However, unless you’re catering an event, I find it just as easy to make the sauce as needed because it comes together in a snap.
You definitely would not want to make the entire Bananas Foster recipe ahead of time because the bananas will not hold up in the storage process after cooking.
Is Bananas Foster alcoholic?
Great question, right? Since bananas foster is cooked so quickly, the alcohol will likely NOT burn off in the same way it does, say, in a simmer sauce.
So, in essence, Bananas Foster probably should be considered an alcoholic dessert if you’re toeing the line.
What can you substitute for rum in Bananas Foster?
Hmmmm, my thinking is…if you substitute anything for the rum or liqueur in a Bananas Foster recipe, you’re making Not Bananas Foster.
There is nothing like the flavor of a lightly cooked rum with butter and brown sugar.
But, if you’re unable to consume alcohol, I’ve heard you can use apple juice or pineapple juice in place of the alcohol.
Yeah, it won’t be much like a traditional Bananas Foster recipe, but I bet it’ll still be good.
Let me know if you try it!
What are the ingredients for Bananas Foster?
- butter
- dark brown sugar
- vanilla
- pecans
- cinnamon
- bananas (firm, ripe)
- dark rum or bourbon
- banana liqueur
- vanilla ice cream
Kitchen tools I use for this recipe:
- 5” cast iron skillet (to heat this sexy dessert)
- paring knife (to cut the bananas)
- silicone spatula (to flip the bananas)
Bananas Foster recipe served in a skillet?
Mos def!
One of my favorite things about this recipe, besides everything, is that it’s served in that cute 5″ cast iron skillet, which makes it perfect for one.
You can serve Bananas Foster in any dish other than a skillet, I just have a soft spot for skillet desserts.
No matter how you present it, you get to control the serving portions, so you’ll never be stuck with too much dessert.
We all know what happens when you make too much dessert!
Have I mentioned how easy Bananas Foster is to make?
It takes 10 minutes…10 minutes guys! Grab that recipe below!
If you’ve never made it, and you have someone to impress, even if that person is YOU, give it a go!
Love skillet desserts? Check these out!
Blueberry Crisp [Vegan Gluten Free]
Ok, so, not a skillet dessert, but my Orange Olive Oil Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache is a simple cake with distinct orange and chocolate flavors…one of my favorite flavor combos!
Traci Antonovich
Yields 1 1-cup serving
New Orleans-style dessert with caramel rum sauce, bananas, and vanilla ice cream.
5 minPrep Time
5 minCook Time
10 minTotal Time
Save Recipe5 based on 17 review(s)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/8 tsp Vanilla
- 1 Tbsp Pecans (chopped)
- Pinch Cinnamon
- 1 Banana (firm, ripe, sliced lengthwise)
- 1 Tbsp Dark Rum or Bourbon
- 1 Tbsp Banana Liqueur
- 1 scoop Vanilla Ice Cream
Instructions
Melt BUTTER in iron skillet over medium heat; add BROWN SUGAR; stir until dissolved (about 2 min).
Gently stir in VANILLA, PECANS, and CINNAMON.
Place BANANAS, sliced side up, in sauce; heat for about two minutes.
Gently turn bananas over, sliced side down; heat about two more minutes.
At this point, you can serve the non-alcohol dessert with a scoop of ice cream, OR continue to flambé.
To flambé:
Turn OFF flame under skillet; add RUM and BANANA LIQUEUR to the skillet sauce.
Using a long, lit match or long lighter, and keeping your body's core away from the skillet, carefully draw the flame close to the sauce surface using your outstretched hand; it will briefly ignite, so quickly move your hand away from the flame to avoid injury; allow the flame to naturally subside (within a few seconds).
Serve warm with a scoop of VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM and a few chopped pecans.
Notes
Please note: this is a single-serve recipe, so be sure to make plenty! 🙂
Traci Antonovich
About my recipes: Minimal meat & more plants!
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